1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to wall covering assemblies and more particularly to an improved wall covering assembly which provides improved acoustical properties and enables a wall covering to be smoothly reflected over an irregular wall surface while providing increased design flexibility.
2. Prior Art
Various systems have been provided for covering walls. Usually, walls are merely painted. In some instances they are covered with wall paper or wall cloth. In other instances they are covered with rigid acoustical or non-acoustical paneling. One recent assembly has employed flat plastic strips bearing hooks on their exposed surfaces. The strips are adhesively connected to a wall or screwed in place, after which a flexible wall covering is hooked to the strips to closely overlie the wall. Although this system is an improvement over many other wall covering systems, it does have some drawbacks. Thus, wall surface irregularities show through the closely overlying wall covering, necessitating the use of a perfectly flat wall for best results. Moreover, although the wall covering itself may be acoustical, its placement against the wall does not enhance such properties. Hence, the covering must be relatively thick to have significant sound-deadening properties.
Many other fabric wall-covering systems have been devised. See, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,197,686 utilizing complicated one-piece strips requiring installing tools. See also U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,625,490, 3,657,850 and 4,161,977. Most such systems employ one-piece strip components which are difficult to install and to use. Moreover, most such systems have no sound-deadening properties whatsoever, and do not facilitate easy maintenance and deinstallation.
There remains a need for an improved wall covering assembly which can overcome the above-described shortcomings. Such assembly should not only result in improved acoustical properties, but should allow the wall covering to be perfectly smoothly applied to an irregular wall surface and to provide a single fabric system that solves a plurality of installation problems. The assembly should be inexpensive, adaptable to a variety of applications, efficient and durable.